Maxpass availability throughout the day

[Skyegirl1999]

This is a bit of a record of FPs available yesterday (5/19). Both parks opened at 9am; DL had an 8am MM. DL closed at midnight; DCA closed at 9. I'd describe it as "crowded but not nuts."

1. Due to unexpected parking issues (band group bus mayhem), we arrived later than expected, entering the gates moments before 9. At 9:00, I pulled a 9:50-10:50 Hyperspace Mountain FP. That was the latest return time for a DL ride at that time; most rides had 9:05 return times. Big Thunder was 9:45.

2. At 9:55, I pulled Buzz for 10:00-11:00. Although it tells you that you can pull a new FP at 10:25, I knew that if I scanned in sooner that that, I could get a new one right away, so...

3. At 10:02, I scanned in for Buzz and then pulled a 10:40-11:40 Star Tours.

4. At 10:40, I had the bright idea to start screenshotting what was available. The app gives you each park separately, in alphabetical order, so the list looks like this:

I thought it might be more helpful to list the return times in order from soonest-furthest, so that's what I'll do here.

At 10:40am, here's what was available:
At DL:
It's a Small World: 10:45-11:45
Buzz Lightyear: 10:45-11:45
Splash Mountain: 10:45-11:45 *note: It was chilly!
Haunted Mansion: 10:50-11:50
Roger Rabbit: 10:50-11:50
Matterhorn: 11:45-12:45
Star Tours: 11:45-12:45
Indiana Jones: 12:35-1:35
Hyperspace Mountain: 1:40-2:40
At DCA:
Goofy's Sky School: 10:45-11:45
Grizzly: 10:45-11:45 *note: It was chilly!
Soarin': 11:10-12:10
Guardians: 12:30-1:30
Toy Story MM: 1:00-2:00
RSR: 2:45-3:45

At 12:13, here's what was available:
At DL:
IASW: 12:20-1:20
Splash: 12:20-1:20 *This was earlier than paper FP due to Splash having just come back online.
Buzz: 12:30-1:30
Roger Rabbit: 12:30-1:30
Haunted Mansion: 12:55-1:55
Big Thunder: 1:15-2:15
Matterhorn: 2:00-3:00
Star Tours: 2:25-3:25
Indiana Jones: 3:20-4:20
Hyperspace: 5:05-6:05
At DCA:
GSS: 12:15-1:15
Grizzly: 12:15-1:15
Soarin': 1:30-2:30
GOTG: 3:15-4:15
TSMM: 4:20-5:20
RSR: 6:20-7:20

At 1:55, here's what was available:
At DL:
IASW: 2:15-3:15
Buzz: 2:35-3:35
Roger Rabbit: 2:50-3:50
Haunted Mansion: 3:15-4:15
Splash: 3:30-4:30
Big Thunder: 3:35-4:35
Indiana Jones: 4:25-5:25
Star Tours: 4:40-5:50
Matterhorn: 4:45-5:45
Hyperspace: 8:20-9:20
At DCA:
Grizzly: 2:00-3:00
GSS: 2:20-3:20
Soarin': 4:05-5:05
GOTG: 5:55-6:55
TSMM: 7:45-8:45
RSR: gone

At 2:28
At DL:
IASW: 2:45-3:45
Buzz: 3:15-4:15
Roger Rabbit: 3:20-4:20
Haunted Mansion: 3:50-4:50
Big Thunder: 4:20-5:20
Splash: 4:20-5:20
Star Tours: 5:15-6:15
Matterhorn: 5:35-6:35
Indiana Jones: 6:45-7:45
Hyperspace: 9:15-10:15
At DCA:
Grizzly: 2:30-3:30
GSS: 3:05-4:05
Soarin': 4:50-5:50
GOTG: 6:10-7:10
TSMM and RSR: gone

At 3:13
At DL:
IASM: 3:35-4:35
Buzz: 4:05-5:05
Roger Rabbit: 4:20-5:20
Haunted Mansion: 4:45-5:45
Big Thunder: 5:15-6:15
Splash: 5:20-6:20
Matterhorn: 6:35-7:35
Star Tours: 6:35-7:35
Indiana Jones: 8:30-9:30
Hyperspace: 10:20-11:20
At DCA:
Grizzly: 3:15-4:15
GSS: 3:45-4:45
Soarin': 5:15-6:15
GOTG: 7:25-8:25
TSMM: 8:10-9:00 *Note: this would be a cancelled FP only available with Maxpass.
RSR: gone

At 4:35, we grabbed Big Thunder for 7:05-8:05, but I didn't screenshot the rest.

At 6:25
At DL:
IASW: 6:40-7:40
Buzz: 7:05-8:05
Roger Rabbit: 7:50-8:30 *Note that Toontown closes at 8:30 for fireworks.
Splash: 8:45-9:45
Haunted Mansion: 8:50-9:50
Big Thunder: 8:55-9:55
Star Tours: 10:25-11:25
Matterhorn 10:45-11:45
Hyperspace and Indiana Jones: gone
At DCA:
Grizzly: 6:25-7:25
GSS: 7:50-8:50
Everything else: gone

For 7:20(ish), I have an interesting comparison because I happened to screenshot the screens on Thursday night to text to a friend who was joining me, so there's a side-by-side comparison. On the left is Thursday, 5/17 @7:18, and on the right is Saturday, 5/19 @ 7:24.

On Thursday, Splash Mountain was also available with 9:25-10:25, and Star Tours was at 9:00-10:00. Neither was still available on Saturday.

Saturday at 8:20, just for fun, I checked one last time. At DCA, only Grizzly had an 8:20-9:00 still listed, and DL had these:
IASW: 8:25-9:29
Splash: 9:45-10:45
Buzz: 10:10-11:10
Haunted Mansion: 11:05-12:00

A few notes:

• The "popularity" of FPs on Saturday was very consistent with what I witness on a regular basis. One exception is that both Splash and Grizzly become popular if it's hot (it wasn't, ever). Obviously things move faster when it's crowded and slower when it isn't. When Haunted Mansion or IASW become holiday versions, they get popular. If a ride breaks down, its FP rate will suddenly spike.
• The "cancelled" FPs are rare. At two different points, I spent a solid 15 minute block just constantly refreshing back and forth between the parks, and I never spotted a single one... but you'll note I caught a TSMM one at 3:13 (since that had been gone in the previous screenshot set). So they happen, but I see some people suggest that they're a frequent occurrence. They're not, in my experience.
• TSMM is currently more popular than it should be because it's closed for part of the day and also the FP machines are in the center of the park instead of way in the back. When Pixar Pier opens (and the Incredicoaster gets thrown in), those will calm back down, although they're always popular as the only non-height-requirement FP at DCA. I expect the Incredicoaster to briefly become the most popular FP (like GOTG did), and then to drift back below RSR. Depending how good Incredicoaster is, it could take the #2 spot for the summer.

Anyway, this is a long post, but I thought that people who are planning might be interested to see what's available, when... I'll try to grab some morning return times next time I'm there and throw them in, too.

 

[cindyland]

I'm interested in how this goes during the summer. I have a one-park, half-day (4:00 entrance) ticket for one day of my trip, and my husband wants me to get a MaxPass when I go into DL. He and my kids have all-day parkhoppers, and will be getting MaxPasses when they go in for MM (we're staying on property). I'm watching to see if I can get at least three fast passes between 4:00 and midnight, when the park closes. Pirates will also have MaxPass by then (mid-July), and So Cal APs will be blocked.

So I liked your post! Thanks for the info.

 

[Cal-Pie]

Super helpful post, I'm going to have to read it 20+ times to take it all in, but super helpful none the less.

 

[momof2n2]

This is awesome. I love it.

I’d expected easy access to TSMM compared to DHS, as is often reported, but it makes sense with so much closed right now. Glad to have that realization now.

 

[Safari23]

On average how many rides do you find you get in between the fast passes? Did you keep pulling a new one immediately as soon as you could get a new one? How many fast passes would you say you use on an average day?

 

[Skyegirl1999]

On average how many rides do you find you get in between the fast passes? Did you keep pulling a new one immediately as soon as you could get a new one? How many fast passes would you say you use on an average day?

We usually pull one immediately (or close to it), assuming there are FP rides that we still want to ride... but we have different priorities than the average person since we're there so often. For instance, yesterday my daughter decreed that she did NOT want to ride RSR (a usual favorite) or It's a Small World, so those are two I'd normally have worked in, but didn't...

Yesterday, we pulled FPs for these rides:
Hyperspace Mountain
Buzz
Star Tours
GOTG
TSMM
Goofy's - (I actually booked this twice and ended up canceling it both times because my daughter took a stroller nap. I could have used both if she wasn't napping.)
Soarin'
Roger Rabbit (also cancelled this one)
Big Thunder

We also rode these without FP:
Big Thunder (right at rope drop)
Casey Jr.
Carousel
Splash Mountain (lucked out and basically walked on right after a re-opening)
Railroad

We also did these things:
Met Rey
Met Oswald
Disney Jr. Dance Party
Pixar Play Parade
Fantasmic! (Hungry Bear dining package)
Together Forever (following Fantasmic!)
Lots of miscellaneous nonsense like Photopass pictures, face painting, watching the March of the First Order, trying to pull the sword from the stone, watching the windows change at the Emporium, watching various musical groups, etc.
75-minute stroller nap ;-)

I sometimes go with tourists, and we usually go more ride-heavy on those days (although I've also been with groups who care more about characters, which has its own art).

 

[HydroGuy]

This is a bit of a record of FPs available yesterday (5/19). Both parks opened at 9am; DL had an 8am MM. DL closed at midnight; DCA closed at 9. I'd describe it as "crowded but not nuts."

OK, your scientific method is really a thing now. Thanks LOL!

 

[Skyegirl1999]

OK, your scientific method is really a thing now. Thanks LOL!

My husband was out of town for a few days, so I had to amuse myself somehow...

 

[NorthernCalMom]

Love this post!!! I’m slowly starting to gear up for our yearly August trip’s planning, and this is super-helpful.

I’m wondering, though, about your prediction that Pixar Pier’s new offerings will have TSMM lines calm down. I was actually thinking the opposite: more people being drawn to that area due to the excitement of there being something new, with at least some of that foot traffic spilling over to keep TSMM (especially the standby line) consistently busy. I hope you’re right & I’m wrong!

 

[HydroGuy]

Love this post!!! I’m slowly starting to gear up for our yearly August trip’s planning, and this is super-helpful.

I’m wondering, though, about your prediction that Pixar Pier’s new offerings will have TSMM lines calm down. I was actually thinking the opposite: more people being drawn to that area due to the excitement of there being something new, with at least some of that foot traffic spilling over to keep TSMM (especially the standby line) consistently busy. I hope you’re right & I’m wrong!

I think you may get the best answer to your question by flipping a coin...

 

[Skyegirl1999]

Love this post!!! I’m slowly starting to gear up for our yearly August trip’s planning, and this is super-helpful.

I’m wondering, though, about your prediction that Pixar Pier’s new offerings will have TSMM lines calm down. I was actually thinking the opposite: more people being drawn to that area due to the excitement of there being something new, with at least some of that foot traffic spilling over to keep TSMM (especially the standby line) consistently busy. I hope you’re right & I’m wrong!

That's a good point - I am thinking that the popularity of the FP will calm down, as it's been running out early in the day since they started construction - it's the hottest ticket at DCA besides RSR. Once the Incredicoaster soaks up some of those FP pulls, and once TSMM is back to operating all day instead of for limited hours, I'd expect the (increased number of) FPs to last longer... but who knows? The fact is that there aren't a lot of FPs available at DCA, and since quite a number of guests are too short for the Incredicoaster and too scared for GOTG, that keeps TSMM FPs popular. Like I said, it's the only DCA FP without a height requirement, too.

I'd definitely expect TSMM standby lines to increase; I was purely considering FP availability... but you make a good point about that.

I also see far more people in the parks using Maxpass (one reason being that a lot of APs seem to be adding it as they renew). Even though a lot of them are badly misinformed about how it works (I overhear people saying you can get "one an hour," "you can only get one every two hours," "you can't get a new one until you use yours," etc.), it does have the potential to drain the available FPs earlier in the day as more people use it and become aware of how it actually works. It will be interesting to see how the summer goes, indeed!

 

[az4boys]

The "cancelled" FPs are rare. At two different points, I spent a solid 15 minute block just constantly refreshing back and forth between the parks, and I never spotted a single one... but you'll note I caught a TSMM one at 3:13 (since that had been gone in the previous screenshot set). So they happen, but I see some people suggest that they're a frequent occurrence. They're not, in my experience.

I agree that the are not frequent, but is a fun perk when it does happen. We've had trips with MP in October (3 days), January (3 days), February (1 day), and May (2 days) while using MaxPass. There have been times when we have gotten awesome cancelled FP, but they seem to be slowing down. I don't remember anything amazing about the last two trips on getting cancelled FP. I wonder if more people are using MP and therefore those ones are going faster, or if people are just better at using the system and don't cancel as much.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Love this post! Thank you for doing this! Science, there's nothing like it!

 

[BandMom1]

Great post! We will be there in a few weeks and this is very helpful info. I wasn't aware that TSMM was only operating for limited hours each day. Yikes! Are the hours the same each day or do they change depending on construction schedule?

 

[Ava]

Thank you for this post, and the screenshots! We’re taking our first trip to DLR in July and it’s really helpful to see what the MaxPass screens look like and how they’re organized before I actually have to use it.

 

[BriannaRuth]

Not taking construction into account, we often have trouble riding TSMM first thing in the morning because it often seems to open late due to some kind of technical difficulty. It's like the one attraction that throws our EMH plans off the most!

 

[Skyegirl1999]

I wasn't aware that TSMM was only operating for limited hours each day. Yikes! Are the hours the same each day or do they change depending on construction schedule?

I'm actually not sure about this. I know I've seen FPs for 11 or so on a few occasions, so it seems to be open by then, but I couldn't say for sure that's the case every day - perhaps someone else knows the answer to this.

 

[avalon451]

Oh, gosh, I am SO glad to have this post! I am going this coming weekend, also with my kid's band trip, and we'll be in the parks Saturday afternoon 1- close and all day Sunday. Yesterday I was glancing at my phone occasionally to try to get an idea of how the FP return times were looking on a busy Sunday, but it was hard to retain any information. This is super helpful. I will be studying it for sure.

From what I did see, I was mildly surprised that some of the FPs lasted as long as they did.

Thanks again!

 

[smileyface1990]

The "cancelled" FPs are rare. At two different points, I spent a solid 15 minute block just constantly refreshing back and forth between the parks, and I never spotted a single one... but you'll note I caught a TSMM one at 3:13 (since that had been gone in the previous screenshot set). So they happen, but I see some people suggest that they're a frequent occurrence. They're not, in my experience.

I have always been able to get cancelled fastpasses. But I am usually by myself so it is much easier. The only one that I cannot get a fastpass for is TSMM. I think this is due to there being no real fastpass line, so I dont think they are giving out as much as the use to before the construction started.

Every other ride I can get one within 10 or 15 minutes of refreshing the page. Usually I do so waiting in line. My best one was the day California screamin closed I was able to ride it 5 or 6 times in a row with cancelled fastpasses. I would redeem one and by the time I got on the ride I had another one for 5 or 10 minutes later. I am hoping I get this lucky when the incredicoaster opens.

 

[Winnowill]

We lucked into RSR after dark on a cancelled FP (when ALL FPs for RSR were gone) on 12/28 (our only DCA day with MP so far), but that was the only cancelled FP we got on that two-day trip.

 

[Liam'sMimi]

Can someone please explain what is a "cancelled fastpass" is?
Thank you!